This just annoys me

[enrico]

Why make a nine frame extractor? I then have two frames left over with nine holes you can't get them opposite each other so they are unbalanced..... Yes I know there are ways round it but it just niggles me

 

[Sutty]

Me too!
12 makes more sense, more balanced options

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why make a nine frame extractor

probably goes back to the days of people obsessing over extra thick frames of comb and spacing nine frames to a super

 

[The Poot]

Why make a nine frame extractor? I then have two frames left over with nine holes you can't get them opposite each other so they are unbalanced..... Yes I know there are ways round it but it just niggles me

It’s as aggravating as foundation in packs of 10.
My extractor takes nine frames too, so I know exactly how you feel.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My Swienty supers have castellations giving nine at the same spacing as ten in a wooden super…… just sayin’

 

[Karol]

Why make a nine frame extractor? I then have two frames left over with nine holes you can't get them opposite each other so they are unbalanced..... Yes I know there are ways round it but it just niggles me

Might be something as simple a science. Harmonics produced with even numbers of frames might cause the extractor to shake apart. Odd numbers of frames might disrupt harmonics thereby stabilizing the extractor. Conjecture but based on product design experience of distributive forces around radial elements.

 

[Antipodes]

Might be something as simple a science. Harmonics produced with even numbers of frames might cause the extractor to shake apart. Odd numbers of frames might disrupt harmonics thereby stabilizing the extractor. Conjecture but based on product design experience of distributive forces around radial elements.

https://www.beekeepingsuppliesaustralia.com.au/product/extractor-8-frame-radial/

But there are lots of eight frame extractors out there?

 

[Karol]

https://www.beekeepingsuppliesaustralia.com.au/product/extractor-8-frame-radial/

But there are lots of eight frame extractors out there?

Got three legs.

 

[Garry R]

I guess that the 3 legs is based on the milking stool principle in that you can put it anywhere and all three legs are on the ground. If you go to a rustic pub a four legged table often has one leg supported by beer mats to make it stable and after a few bottles of wine it is the diner who needs propping up and stabilising!!

 

[Garry R]

Why make a nine frame extractor? I then have two frames left over with nine holes you can't get them opposite each other so they are unbalanced..... Yes I know there are ways round it but it just niggles me

I have a 9 frame and it often shakes at the start of the extraction, I got over this by putting a strap around the extractor and around the heavy range cooker reasonably tight with a thick piece of foam between cooker and extractor to prevent damage (to the extractor of course!). It certainly helps until a bit of honey is spun out and things settle down. Other alternative is to bolt it to the kitchen floor but SWMBO did not give planning approval.

 

[Jimmy]

I have a 9 frame and it often shakes at the start of the extraction,

My 20 frame extractor is far more stable if I start slow and only increase the speed gradually.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Might be something as simple a science. Harmonics produced with even numbers of frames might cause the extractor to shake apart. Odd numbers of frames might disrupt harmonics thereby stabilizing the extractor.

doubtful, I've used a 12 frame and 20 frame extractor with no issues

 

[roche]

Might be something as simple a science. Harmonics produced with even numbers of frames might cause the extractor to shake apart. Odd numbers of frames might disrupt harmonics thereby stabilizing the extractor. Conjecture but based on product design experience of distributive forces around radial elements.

Multiples of three make sense for vibration and reliability.

 

[Karol]

I have a 9 frame and it often shakes at the start of the extraction, I got over this by putting a strap around the extractor and around the heavy range cooker reasonably tight with a thick piece of foam between cooker and extractor to prevent damage (to the extractor of course!). It certainly helps until a bit of honey is spun out and things settle down. Other alternative is to bolt it to the kitchen floor but SWMBO did not give planning approval.

Might be the difference in frame weights not evenly distributed?

 

[pargyle]

My elderly Lega takes 15 frames ...and my Paynes Poly nucs I run with 9 frame castellations - no matter how I organise things I always end up with a few odd frames that are left unspun. I don't view it as a problem - I'm not that anal that I can only have a full set of unspun frames in the extractor.

What I do is leave the last set of spun frames in the cage and replace a few of them with the odd unspun ones - spreading them evenly round the drum. It doesn't seem to cause the imbalance you sometimes get when you just have a few odd frames in an otherwise empty cage. (Bit more weight perhaps ?)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Multiples of three make sense for vibration and reliability.

three into twenty?

 

[roche]

three into twenty?

Don't go...
But - the more frames there are, the better the balance can be, and the less the vibration.

 

[robmort]

Might be something as simple a science. Harmonics produced with even numbers of frames might cause the extractor to shake apart. Odd numbers of frames might disrupt harmonics thereby stabilizing the extractor. Conjecture but based on product design experience of distributive forces around radial elements.

Nothing to do with science or harmonics; they only occur at much higher frequencies and not relevant anyway.
More to do with engineering and cost as 3 spokes are the minimum to support the cage centrally, and then each segment is divided into 3 frame supports for maximum width frames, and 4 frames per segment would often be too tight.

 

[holmbee]

Why make a nine frame extractor? I then have two frames left over with nine holes you can't get them opposite each other so they are unbalanced..... Yes I know there are ways round it but it just niggles me

Nine frames works perfectly for me. I have Langstroth hives where the supers take ten frames. Once they start to fill I remove one then evenly space the remaining nine to enable each frame to be built allowing more honey per frame when extracting.

 

[bontbee]

ditto

What I do is leave the last set of spun frames in the cage and replace a few of them with the odd unspun ones - spreading them evenly round the drum

ditto - and spin slowly to start, then build up gradually. Much as I do with a full load, in fact!